The FTSE 100 was lower on Wednesday at midday despite UK inflation cooling more than expected, ahead of interest rate decisions in the US on Wednesday and in the UK on Thursday.Stocks in Paris were weighed down by a disappoint profit warning from Kering, which also had an impact on Burberry in London. Prudential shares sunk on the back of its results.The FTSE 100 index was down 9.75 points, 0.1%,

For anyone who owns a FTSE 100, FTSE 250 or FTSE All-Share tracker fund or ETF, there are one or two changes next week as a result of the latest quarterly index review.Investors in these securities don?t need to do anything themselves as the underlying indices ? compiled by FTSE Russell, part of London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) ? will automatically implement the changes from the start of trading

Stock prices in London had little direction on Wednesday morning, ahead of crucial interest rate decisions by the US Federal Reserve and the Bank of England.The FTSE 100 index opened up 2.76 points at 7,669.07. The FTSE 250 was down 11.48 points at 19,338.02, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.19 of a points at 754.70.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.1% at 765.96, the Cboe UK 250 was down 0.1% at 16,798.2

Blue-chip shares in Europe were on the up on Monday afternoon, with market sentiment boosted by a strong session in New York at the end of last week.Gains could be short-lived, however, if a US inflation reading comes in hot on Tuesday. Equity markets are already reeling from hawkish comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.The FTSE 100 index traded 39.90 points, 0.5%, higher at 7,400.45.

Clients seem to be battening down the hatchesSlowing demand will hurt 2024 performance, company saysStock plunges 16% to multi-year lowsToday's update from FDM (FDM) confirmed slowing demand as clients take that bit longer to make decisions and are being that bit more careful with investment budgets.This is not new news, the FTSE 250 technology and technical skills supplier to corporates has been

Stock prices in London opened in the green on Monday, ahead of a US government funding deadline and key inflation data, as insurer Phoenix rose after upgrading its cash generation targets.The FTSE 100 index opened up 48.40 points, 0.7%, at 7,408.95. The FTSE 250 was up 27.17 points, 0.2%, at 17,880.26, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.1 of a point at 701.02.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.7% at 739.62, t

Stocks in London declined at midday on Wednesday after a busy morning of earnings, ahead of a key interest rate decision from the US in the evening.The FTSE 100 index was down 42.35 points, 0.6%, at 7,649.45. The FTSE 250 was down 52.76 points, 0.3%, at 19,097.12, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.23 of a points at 765.77.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.6% at 762.99, the Cboe UK 250 was down 0.2% at 16,

You have almost certainly never heard of RC365 (RCGH). The payments business joined London's Main Market in March 2022, raising £2 million at 6.2p per share for a £6.7 million market cap. Fifteen months on, the share price has surged more than 2,000% to 154p. The stock is up more than 600% since the start of June this year.Why? Because last month it jumped into the AI (artificial intelligence) s

Stocks markets globally were on the rise at the start of the new month on Wednesday, amid strong expectations that the Federal Reserve will continue to slow its pace of interest rate hikes.Ahead of the US central bank decision, a string of company updates and PMI readings were attracting market attention.The FTSE 100 index opened up 23.53 points, 0.3%, at 7,795.23. The FTSE 250 was up 129.18 point

FDM (FDM) 987pLoss to date: 16.9%Original entry point: Buy at £11.88, 20 January 2022IT contracting services outfit FDM (FDM) may have been a disappointing performer in share price terms since we flagged its appeal in January but the company is doing well from an operational perspective.As a reminder FDM operates a 'Mounties' model, training up IT consultants or Mounties in return for their servi

FDM (FDM) £10.02Loss to date: 15.7%Original entry point: Buy at £11.88, 20 January 2022A clear example of how some share prices have become detached from the fundamentals, FDM (FDM) is making the most of its ability to plug IT skills shortages, as we said it could. Results for full year 2021 saw the company's adjusted operating profits rise 11% to £47.3 million on stable revenues of £267 milli

We know that good staff are hard to come by in many industries at the moment and the squeeze on technology talent predates the pandemic. This backcloth is great for FDM (FDM) and its army of IT experts, called 'Mounties'.Run by the founding husband and wife team of Rod and Sheila Flavell, the chief executive and chief operating officer respectively, clients mainly come from the banking, insurance

As the world economy starts to get back to something approaching normal, and with supply chains struggling to keep pace, inflation has once again reared its head.From the UK to Europe, the US and China, consumer and producer prices are rising at a faster pace than politicians and central bankers would like.For investors, this year has been a test of how their portfolios might perform if there were

The FTSE 100 tumbled throughout trading on Wednesday, closing 1.3% lower to 6,567.37, as investor sentiment was hit by a perfect storm of Covid-19 vaccine troubles, anxiety over the US Federal Reserve's latest monetary policy update and a warning from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).A row over vaccine supplies from pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca (AZN) into the EU continued on Wednesday as

UK stocks tumbled throughout morning trading on Wednesday as investors braced for the US Federal Reserve's latest update on monetary policy, due later in the day.The Fed is expected to leave policy unchanged and stick to its ultra-loose stance with near zero interest rates, $120 billion of bond purchases every month and other liquidity relief measures to help the ailing US economy, which is the wo

UK stocks dipped modestly in early trading on Wednesday after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) raised its global growth recovery forecast but flagged Britain's severe pandemic impact as likely to drag on its own economic bounce-back.The IMF now expects the global economy to grow 5.5% this year, a 0.3% increase from October's forecast, but cut its UK estimates from 5.9% to 4.5% as virus cases

UK shares ended the day stronger with investor optimism lifted by hopes of a US stimulus package being agreed.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin are set for talks again today, with hopes growing that the Democrats and Republicans can get a new Covid-19 stimulus package over the line.Having started the day in the red, the UK's benchmark FTSE 100 index closed 0.12% high

The FTSE 100 recouped some of its earlier losses by midday on Tuesday, helped by a falling pound on reports the EU will ignore the UK's Brexit ultimatum, as well as news that US president Donald Trump has returned to the White House.The exporter-heavy index traded relatively flat at 5,939 by 12pm as the pound fell against the euro and dollar.It follows reports from Bloomberg that the EU is prepari

UK shares opened lower on Tuesday with the FTSE 100 index dipping 0.2% to 5,929 points on lingering doubts about the state of economic recovery.Overnight trading in Asia was mixed with China's Shanghai SE Composite down 0.2% and Japan's Nikkei 225 up 0.5%.Gold prices were slightly lower down 0.1% at $1,911 an ounce and Brent Crude was 0.3% higher at $41.3 a barrel. The pound was up slightly agains

IT contracting services firm FDM (FDM) said performance since its first quarter results was comfortably in line with its revised expectations outlined at the end of April.Mounties (what the company calls its contractors) deployed client side as of the 15 June totalled 3,706, a slight contraction from the 3,802 in place at the end of April. 'A robust AGM statement, but the data points suggest that